Court in Spain's Basque Country Rules COVID Pass Requirement for Night Venues Illegal

MADRID (Sputnik) - The high court of Spain's autonomous Basque Country has ruled that it is illegal to require COVID passports for entering nightclubs and other late night venues in the region.
Sputnik
Last week, the Basque Country's health council recommended to introduce additional restrictions in municipalities with over 150 confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people for the two-week period.
The authorities appealed to the region's high court to determine the legality of the requirement to show COVID certificates at certain venues. In particular, the measure has been considered for night entertainment establishments such as clubs, pubs, karaoke and concerts halls, restaurants, and other venues where more than 50 people can gather at the same time.
The court ruled that this restrictive measure was unnecessary, Diario Vasco daily said.
"No matter how worthy the end may be, it does not justify the means when it comes to the rule of law," the court was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The regional government can challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
Over the past week, Spain has registered 37,500 new COVID-19 cases, with six autonomous communities exceeding the critical mark of 150 cases per 100,000 people. As of now, about 90% of the country's population has been vaccinated.
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